History of
BURNS—POWER
RELATED FAMILIES
Information gathered
by Emma Power Burns,
Wife of William Brantley Burns.
born August 1, 1872
died June 11, 1949
[Transcriber’s note: The title page of this handwritten manuscript is in a different hand, and the dates given are for Emma Power Burns herself.]
[The first couple pages recount some history of the Campbells of Argyle, from its founder “Cailean Mor,” who died 1294, to a “Sir Nioll Deormid Campbell,” who “became tenth Duke in 1914.” Beginning with the first mention of the Burns name on page 3:]
During the Monmouth Rebellion, about 1675, the Burness family, having no clan of their own and being in sympathy with the Campbells of Argyle, joined the forces and clan of Archibald, who became the eighth Earl in 1638 and Marquis of Argyll in 1641. The name Burns was formerly Burness and not until 1700 it became Burns. After they joined the forces of the Campbells, they intermarried and became the same family. There is also a branch of the same family living in England now.
William Burns and wife - whose name [I] have been unable to find - were born in the early part of the 1700’s. They had five children (one boy and two girls whose names and dates we could not find). We have the records on two of the children, William & Robert, as follows - William Burns born 1737, married Agnes Brown [in margin: “b. 1732”] in 1757. He died in 1784. They had two sons and two daughters. One son, Gilbert, [was] born about 1762, and the other son, Robert Burns, the famous poet - born Jan. 1759. He was married to Jean Armour, and he died in 1796.
The other son was Robert Burns born in 1732 (could not get his wife’s name or date). They had six children - their names being - William, Archibald, Robert, Henry, Mary and John. William was born in Ireland on Feb. 12, 1752 and came to this country in early youth. He was married to Margaret Mitchell, who was born in Maryland. This is the record we come on.
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(These are some records that Uncle Crawford Burns’ son Bob and his wife compiled.)
The first records we have of our Burns family in the U.S.A. is of William Burns who was born in Ireland in 1752. He came to [the] U.S.A. when quite a young man and lived in Orange County, North Carolina, most of the time, at least, until the winter of 1781 and 1782 when with his family he moved to Georgia and settled in Elbert Co. - just before the fourth child was born.
When Franklin County was formed he moved up in that county - close to where the town of Maysville now stands. It is now Jackson Co. where he lived. William Burns married Margaret Mitchell in North Carolina. They had eight children in all. He obtained a grant of land from the State of Ga. and built a two story log house on the land close to a spring with a branch - years later they dug a well. There the couple lived and worked the remainder of their lives with their children. They are both buried close to where the old house stood. It is in a pasture on land that now belongs to Mr. Styg Morris. William Burns was a Revolutionary Soldier, and his grave has been marked by the D.A.R. He was an Irish weaver as well as a farmer. He was low in stature - not tall as most of the Burns’ and was very musical. His wife Margaret Mitchell was taller and a very pretty old lady. When William Burns died his children all being grown and married - his wife broke up housekeeping and went to live with her Son, David Mitchell Burns and his wife Sarah (Hay) Burns where she lived the rest of her life. William Burns and family were of the Presbyterian faith and very strict in their beliefs.
The names and ages are copied from an old family Bible, which first belonged to the Hay family - The parents of Sarah (Hay) Burns, who married David Mitchell Burns and brought the Bible into the Burns family. When David Mitchell Burns died - in his will, he had given this Bible to his oldest great grandchild - who was Clara Mays - She is now Mrs. Tom Boone and lives in Maysville Ga. The Bible was given Clara by her great grandmother Sarah H. Burns and she prizes it very highly. It was printed by Adrian Watkins, an English printer in the year M.D.C.C.L.V.I. (1756)
Wife-
Margaret
(Mitchell) Burns was born in
Maryland, Jan. 30,
1752.
Son:
Wife-
Sarah (Hay) Burns
was born
Sept. 16, 1801
Grandson:
Wife-
Arminda (Neal)
Burns was born
Nov. 7, 1822.
Great grandson:
Wife-
Emma (Goss) Burns
was born
March 12, 1851.
Great, great grandson:
Wife-
Emma (Power) Burns
was born
Aug. 1, 1872
Great, great, great grandson:
Wife-
Ruby (Hight) Burns
was born Sept 7. 1895.
Great, great, great, great, grandson:
[At this point are the names of four more family members that are omitted because the individuals are probably still living. The handwriting is different and appears more recent.]
Revolutionary record of William Burns, as I have been able to get it so far. This came from the Adjutant General’s Office in Washington -
“The records of this office show that one William Burns served in the
Revolutionary War as drummer and fifer of Major John Baptist Ashe’s
Company, 1st North Carolina Regiment, commanded by Colonel Thomas
Clark. His name appears only on a roll of that organization dated Sept. 8,
1778, which shows that he enlisted May 20, 1777 for three years, and which
bears the remark: “Sick in camp.” No further record of him has been found.”
Signed “E. S. Adams
Major General,
The Adjutant General”
This is the record on which several members of the family have joined the D.A.R.
From Jackson Co. records of Revolutionary Soldiers:
William Burns Sr. had two draws in [the] Land Lottery of 1825 as citizen and two draws as Revolutionary Soldier.
In Knights Roster of Rev. Soldiers, I found this -
“Margaret Burns, widow of Revolutionary Soldier, Jackson County, Georgia-
Capt. Baugh’s District No. 465 - entitled to draw in the Land Lottery of 1825
In Jackson Co. Georgia.”
It was Bowers Dist. instead of Baughs.
The Land Lottery wasn’t held until 1827 - William Burns died before it came off. His wife Margaret Burns was entitled to draw - but failed to draw anything. The Lottery was nothing but a gamble. All those who were entitled to a draw or chance were given a number for each draw. So that way, only a few persons really drew land.
“The name of William Burns, Sr. is recorded in the original records of Revolutionary Soldiers of Jackson Co.”
Roster of Rev. Soldiers of Ga.
Page 244 - by Mrs. Howard H. McCall.
Entitled to draw in Land Lottery of 1821 from Elbert Co.
William Burns - 2 draws - in Major Chas.W. Christian’s Battalion No. 152.
Capt. Leroy Upshaws Dist.
William Burns was born in Ireland, Feb. 12th 1752. Margaret Mitchell was born in Maryland U.S.A. Jan. 30th 1752.
William Burns & Margaret Mitchell were married [empty space] in North Carolina U.S.A. and lived in Orange Co. N.C. several years
The children of William Burns and Margaret Mitchell were born
Andrew Burns Feb. 6th 1775
James Burns Apr. 30th 1777
William Burns Oct. 19th 1779
Sally Burns Jan. 9th 1782
Mary Burns May 30th 1784
John Burns Oct. 11th 1788
David Mitchell Burns Aug. 30th 1791
Samuel Burns Sept. 1 1795
William Burns Sr. died July 22nd 1827 – 75 yrs. old
His wife Margaret Mitchell Burns died Jan. 10th 1836 – 84 yrs. old
William Burns & his wife are buried near Maysville, Jackson Co. Ga. in a pasture on land that now belongs to Mr. Stig Morris.
I only have a record of the two youngest boys of William Burns and who they married – David Mitchel Burns who was our great-grandfather – and Samuel Burns – the youngest child
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Transcribed and contributed for use on this site by Sue Ellen Fealko 04/06